The Deal
by Spot's July
Summary: About a suffregette (if that's the word, yeah I am a history major...) who makes a deal with Jack Kelly, fair warning :This sucks and i'm posting it in a moment of weakness


I'm almost ashamed to post this, I wrote it awhile ago and just found it and sorta worked on it and well it's definitly not one of my better peices of writing...My dates, names, characters etc don't really match up cause lets face it, who really cares hehe. So yeah review if you have anything to say about this *cough* masterpiece *cough*  
  
[C.H.A.P.T.E.R. O.N.E.]  
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In 1899 the women of New York had yet to gain the right to vote. Every day   
they signed petitions and held rallies, fighting for what they believed in.   
But the movement had just started, and the people had yet to see that these   
women meant business.  
  
Abigail Williams and her sister Elisabeth were two of the participants in the   
suffragist movement. Little did they know exactly what they were getting   
themselves into that day they left home to help fight the cause.  
  
"Stop the inequality!" those were the words on the sign little Elisabeth   
held, for she was still little at 14. Abby on the other hand at 16, saw   
things differently, signs would get them no where, she wanted her voice to   
be heard all around the world. She started with the groups of congressmen   
walking down the road. The group of women started shouting, some things   
obscene others just rude and angry. The men ignored them as they always   
did. The police did not. They quickly broke up the women carting some off   
to jail. Abby could not count on her hands the number of time she'd been   
to jail in the last 3 months. Put in jail for a week, forced to eat only to   
get out and start all over again. But this groups was different, they were   
violent, not like the others they'd been with before and they would not be   
taken away. They would not be thrown in jail and embarrassed, they would be   
heard, at any cost. But this time, the price was a little too high for Abby.   
  
She knew something bad was going to happen as soon as she saw the police officer draw his gun. Running quickly through the sound of the gunshots she made her way to an alley covered in dirt and old newspapers.   
  
"Wow that was close wasn't it Lis?" she asked turning around to face the spot where her sister should have been.   
  
"Lis?" she called "Elisabeth where are you?!" she yelled, no this wasn't how it worked Elisabeth always followed no matter what, it was how they survived for the last three months.   
  
She ran back to where the scene had taken place only minutes before, the   
women had scattered, no one was there, no one but a figure lying face down   
in the dirt, wearing a blue dress that had once belonged to a sister who now   
wept openly on the street.  
  
Elisabeth was buried in a cemetery by some Good Samaritan who took pity on   
her; Abby left the group of women she'd been with to sit in the cemetery by   
Elisabeth's grave. Day and night she sat there, rain or shine, thinking,   
wondering why Elisabeth ever listened to her. She hadn't wanted to leave   
Boston, it was she, Abby, who persuaded her to come instead of going to deaf   
aunt Mary's after their mother died. It was her fault; she should have   
taken better care of her, if only…  
  
Jack Kelly was passing by the cemetery one night hurrying in the rain to get   
to the lodging house where he lived, when he saw the same girl he'd seen for   
two weeks sitting by a grave. Her black hair was plastered to her thin pale   
face and she looked so sick he had to stop. Her eyes took notice to him but   
she made no move as to show him that she even cared. Her dull lifeless eyes   
followed him as he walked in the gates and towards her.   
  
"Excuse me miss" he said taking his hat off letting it hang off his neck "are you's alright?"   
  
"I'm fine" she said in a hoarse whisper.   
  
"I don't think so." he said "Why don't you's come back ta da lodgin house and get warmed up?" he offered.   
  
"No thank you" she said.   
  
"Uhh alright" he said putting his hat back on "I'm sorry ta of distoibed ya miss…"  
  
"Abigail, and it's ok"   
  
"Miss Abigail" he said "Dats a real pretty name" he sat knowing he wouldn't be able to leave till he knew she was alright.  
  
"Thank you…"   
  
"Da names Kelly, Jack Kelly" he said holding out his hand she took it, her hand was slim and cold.   
  
"What are ya doin here in dis old cemetery?" he asked "doesn't seem like the place pretty girls usually go"   
  
"I thank you for your flattery and kind offer Mr. Kelly but I'd really like to be alone" she said   
  
"Normally I would" he said "but I told meself when I walked in here I wasn't gonna go till I found out what kept you here day after day."   
  
"Why do you care?' she asked bitterly   
  
"I dunno, what does it matter what I care, why don't you just tell me?" he smiled, a grin that was sunny despite the driving rain.   
  
"My sister." she said gesturing to the tombstone.   
  
"Wait a minute, you're one of dos suffragettes arent'jcha" he said. "Your picture was in da pape and everyting, big time." then realizing how insensitive he had been he mumbled his apologies.   
  
She looked at the ground.   
  
"So now you know why I'm here, go home to your family" she said.   
  
"Ain't got no family but the newsies" he said. "I lost a sista too" he added "long time ago, it doesn't help to sit here and obsess over it, I can tell you that."  
  
"Common, come wid me, meet my friends, get warmed up and den when the rain stops and you really wanna come back here, I'll bring you myself, is it a   
deal?" he flashed another grin, one that even Abby could not resist.   
  
"I, I guess." she said.   
  
She tried to stand up but weak from hunger and fatigue, collapsed in Jack's arms.  
  
He carried her to the lodging house, bringing her upstairs and lying her on   
the bunk next to his.   
  
"Heya cowboy what took ya so long?…" someone asked but stopped short when he saw the girl.   
  
"Who's dis beauty?" another kid asked.   
  
"Her name is Abigail, she's da one I's told ya about, the girl who sat in the cemetery"   
  
"Whats she doin here?"  
  
"well she obviously aint well you figure it out" he said with a smirk. "She's da one from the pape" he added.   
  
Kloppman, the owner of the house shooed the boys out and bent down to look at the girl. She was alive, that was a start. A few minuets later after changing her into a spare set of clothes he opened the door so the newsies could come back in   
  
"Go get changed cowboy" he said "we don't need you as sick as this kid here".   
  
"Yeah ok" he said grinning turning towards the washroom.   
  
"Heya Kloppman, she'll be alright, right?"   
  
"Yeah she'll be up in no time, just needs some food and sleep"  
  
The next morning she was still asleep, waking around noon to the ever-smiling face of Jack Kelly.   
  
"Hey dere, we's were beginning to think you'd never wake up"  
  
"Sorry" she mumbled  
  
"Hey now dats ok, you hungry?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Ya soire? It really wouldn't be a problem."  
  
"I can't eat." She said.  
  
"Cause of the movement?" he asked.  
  
"No, cause when I do I usually throw it up."  
  
"Malnutrition" Kloppman said from behind them "You gotta start eating again slowly other wise you'll die of starvation."  
  
"Who cares?" she said "I deserve to die, I don't know why you brought me here."  
  
"Cause you're sick." Jack said "And you need to get better."   
  
Abby turned her head to one side of the pillow, "like it matters"  
  
Jack looked at Kloppman, who beckoned for him to leave the room.  
  
"Kloppman" he said "the girl wants to die."  
  
"No, she thinks she wants to die" he corrected "you said her sister died?"   
  
"Yeah" Jack said.   
  
Kloppman nodded "Depression, malnutrition, Jack the girl needs help, its up to you, if your going to help or not."  
  
Jack nodded and walked back in the room.  
  
"Heya Abby…." He began 'Ise thinkin you really need to eat."  
  
"No" she mumbled, turning her frail body over, digging deeper under the covers.   
  
Jack sighed and left the room.  
  
A couple of hours later he came back with a bowl of soup, the other newsies would be back soon, and Abby still hadn't eaten.  
  
He sat by her bed "Eat please" he said gently.   
  
she looked up at him with her blue eyes.   
  
"I'll try" she whispered.   
  
"The bathroom" he said pointing "is right over there if you feel sick."  
  
She ate three spoonfuls before her stomach lurched and she promptly got sick.  
  
"I'm sorry" she said crawling back into bed.   
  
"No problem just get some rest." He said walking downstairs, sitting down at a table in the cramped kitchen eating the soup himself.  
  
"No luck?' Kloppman asked.   
  
"No, she ate and then got sick" Jack said gloomily.  
  
Kloppman patted him on the back. "But she tried" he said "For you, no one else"  
  
Jack smiled thinking of race's failed attempt. He'd tried to roll her for it, if he won she had to eat.   
  
"Yeah" he said dropping the spoon and drinking the broth.  
  
He went back upstairs, and looked at Abby's bunk, surprised to see it   
empty, he looked around, the window was open.   
  
"The roof" he muttered. Countless wanders including himself had found comfort in standing on the roof of the building, able for once to be on top of the world instead of the other way around.  
  
He climbed out the window and walked up the fire escape to the roof, lighting a   
cigarette. Abby was sitting near the edge staring at the horizon.  
  
"Sure is pretty at this time of night isn't it?" Jack asked.   
  
Abby jumped "You startled me" she said.   
  
"Sorry" he said sitting next to her.   
  
"You smoke?" she asked in disgust   
  
"Yeah, I'se started when I was 14 haven't stopped yet" he said   
  
"That's disgusting" she said.   
  
Jack looked down at the cigarette in his hand, and idea dawning on him.   
  
"Look ah Abby, How's bout we make a deal"   
  
She looked at him "I'm not rolling you either" she said.   
  
Jack laughed "No, a different kind of deal" he said.  
  
"What?" Abby asked wearily.  
  
"I'll quit smoking if you start eating" he offered.  
  
She looked him up and down "How will I know your not smoking when you sell your papers?" she asked.   
  
"Come with me" he said "You need fresh air anyway, Dave and Les would love to have you along."   
  
She stared at him for a minute before slowly extending her hand "ok" she said  
  
Jack shook her hand, then put out his cigarette, helped her up and led her back inside.  
  
The next day dawned bright and sunny, Jack walked over to Abby who was still asleep despite Kloppman's yells.   
  
"Time to wake up" he said softly shaking her she still didn't move jack shook her a little harder.   
  
Abby turned over her eyes fluttering open "Go away" she said   
  
"Don't make me get physical" Jack threatened grabbing a pillow off Blinks bed. Snatching it away and turning over she mumbled thank you, and tried to fall back asleep.   
  
Blink burst out laughing "that worked well cowboy" he said.   
  
Jack glared at him, but smiled never the less.  
  
"Well she has to get up..." Jack said.   
  
Blink grinned "Sorry ta do dis ta ya Abby" he said as he and Jack lifted her mattress, dumping her on the floor.   
  
"I hate you" she said, her voice muffled from the covers.   
  
Jack grinned "Just get up and get ready, i'll wait for you downstairs."  
  
Ten minutes later, Abby still half asleep stumbled down the stairs.   
  
"This is ludicrous" she said.   
  
"Stop whining and lets go" Jack said taking her arm and leading her out the door.   
  
"I'm coming I'm coming" she said leaving a smiling Kloppman behind.   
  
It never failed to amaze him how many stragglers his boys could bring in, and how quickly they could befriend them. It didn't matter what high class people thought about them, his boys were the nicest kids around, and he was proud of them.  
  
Abby let loose a long winded sigh, it felt like they'd been walking for hours and it was only nine o'clock. What she was doing walking around the city with 2 teenage guys screaming at the top of their lungs and a little child trying to look pathetically ill and coughing all over the place she didn't know. The three of them were standing on a sidewalk now, selling papers to someone who truly seemed to believe that a dog had turned into a mutant and swallowed five children already and was still on the loose. Looking into the window of the jewelry shop she was standing next to she studied her reflection, the boys said she was pretty but they thought any girl was pretty since they hardly got to see any upclose. She was too thin for starters and it made her long nose seem even longer and her small blue eyes sink into the darkened sockets. Her cheekbones were too high and her lips too thin, always ready to be pushed into a frown. Her hair hung limply down her back in ratty waves and curls not having been brushed for days let alone washed. No she definitely wasn't pretty, and it didn't matter, she had no one to impress. 


End file.
